Cootamundra mayor Jim Slattery is adding weight to a fight to retain jobs and opening hours at the Cootamundra Railway Station.
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NSW TrainLink has confirmed a proposal to cut the station’s current five full-time and one part-time position to just three part-time positions.
A spokesperson for the organisation told the Herald this would “align the level of customer service to the activity and workload at this location”.
Cr Slattery believes otherwise and said all jobs must be retained in order to provide the service people expect at Cootamundra Railway Station.
He put pen to paper and on March 30 posted letters to TrainLink CEO Rod Mason and Member for Cootamunrdra Katrina Hodgkinson stating his dissatisfaction for the proposal and asking that changes affecting Cootamundra be reconsidered.
He has since received a reply from Mr Mason and is waiting on a reply from Ms Hodgkinson.
“I’m concerned; we don’t want jobs lost from our community and we don’t want services cut,” Cr Slattery said.
He said he has heard that under the proposal Cootamundra staff, who currently clean the Harden Railway Station toilets once a week, would be sent once a fortnight instead.
Cr Slattery said this level of infrequent cleaning would affect the work required when that staff member did attend Harden.
“It is not good enough,” Cr Slattery said.
The proposed changes will also affect the hours during which the station is manned.
Presently someone is on site until 5pm, however this will be cut to 4pm under the proposed changes.
“This means if the train is running late, which does happen from time to time, there will be no-one there after 4pm to help get luggage on and off the train, passengers will have to do it themselves; this is not the look we want for visitors or local residents using the train,” Cr Slattery said.
In the response from Mr Mason to Cr Slattery, it was stated customers can book train seats at the post office.
“They are passing the buck; the post office closes at 5pm on a Friday and does not re-open until Monday, what happens if someone wants to book a seat over the weekend,” Cr Slattery said.
